Connector for point-to-point wiring system

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to an electrical connector which is pluggable into an apertured panel board for point-to-point wiring, the connector including a plurality of wiring posts mounted in an insulating board and having wire clips thereon for retaining wires in contact with each of the posts. The mounting board slidably fits into grooves in a two-piece housing, the housing members being interconnected by means of notched extension in one of the housing members which extends through apertures formed in the other housing member to provide a lock between two housing members with the insulating board and pluggable posts mounted within the housing.

[72] Inventor Glenn llarlanGluntz Harrisburg, Pa. [21] Appl. No. 15,175[22] Filed Feb. 27, 11970 [45] Patented Dec. 211, 19711 [73] AssigneeAMP Incorporated Harrisburg, Pa.

[54] CONNECTOR FOR lOllNT-T'U-IPOIINT WHltllNG SYSTEM 5 Claims, 3Drawing ll igs.

[52] 1U.S.Cl 339/107, 339/29 R, 339/196 M, 339/206 R [51] int. Cl..lll01lr1l3/9 [50] Field otSearch 339/103 C, 107, 63, 141, 196, 198 J,206, 208, 210

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,112,148 11/1963 Wochner339/116C 3,170,749 2/1965 Johansonetal. 3,243,757 3/1966 CobaughAWSTMACT: The disclosure relates to an electrical connector which ispluggable into an apertured panel board for point-topoint wiring, theconnector including a plurality of wiring posts mounted in an insulatingboard and having wire clips thereon for retaining wires in contact witheach of the posts. The mounting board slidably fits into grooves in atwo-piece housing, the housing members being interconnected by means ofnotched extension in one of the housing members which extends throughapertures formed in the other housing member to provide a lock betweentwo housing members with the insulating board and pluggable postsmounted within the housing.

CONNECTOR FOR IPOINT-TO-lPOlINT Wlllltlll lt; SYSTEM The inventionrelates to an electrical connector for pointto-point wiring on wiringboards, block and panels, and more particularly, to an easily andreadily assemblable electrical connector having a two-piece housing foruse in a point to point wiring system.

In the field of miniaturized electrical and electronic circuitry, andparticularly in the area of printed circuitry, it is often necessary tointerconnect plural electrical circuits. This is often done by means ofwiring boards, blocks or panels to which a first group of circuits canbe connected, connector then being provided from the first group ofcircuits to a second group of circuits to which interconnection is to bemade, all on the wiring board. Point-to-point installations of this typerequired a pair of electrical connectors and interconnecting wires. Theelectrical connectors of the prior art for such application have beenrelatively expensive to produce and to install.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided anelectrical connector for use in point-to-point wiring which isrelatively simple to install, economic to manufacture and relativelyeasy to assemble. Briefly, the above is provided by mounting a pluralityof pluggable posts through an insulating board, the posts extending onboth sides of the board and having a thin portion on one side thereoffor insertion into a panel board or the like. Wiring clips are thensecured to the other ends of the pluggable posts with a wire securedtherein. A two piece housing is provided, the housing having a pairofgrooves on opposite sides thereof or receiving the insulating mountingboard therein upon securing the housing members together. The housingmembers are secured to each other by passing a notched extension in oneof the housing members through an aperture or apertures in the otherhousing member, the notch extending entirely through the aperture andlocking against the top portion thereof. In this manner, a relativelyinexpensive and easily assembled and used electrical connector forpoint-to-point wiring is provided.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electricalconnector for point-to-point wiring which is relatively inexpensive toproduce relative to prior art connectors of this type.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electricalconnector for point-to-point wiring having an interlocking two-piecehousing for securing an insulating board with wiring posts thereonwithin the housing.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide an electricalconnector for point-to-point wiring which is relatively simple toassemble relative to prior art systems of this type.

The above objects and still further objects of this invention willimmediately become apparent to those skilled in the art afterconsideration of the following preferred embodiment thereof which isprovided by way of example and not by way of limitation wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of electrical connectors inaccordance with the present invention as used in point-to-point wiring;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the parts of the electric connectorin accordance with the present invention in an exploded form; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an electrical connector inaccordance with the present invention in assembled condition.

Referring first to FIG. I, there is shown a wiring panel I having aplurality ofsets of apertures 7 therein for receiving an electricalconnector 3 in accordance with the present invention. A pair ofelectrical connectors 3 is positioned in selected ones of the groups ofapertures 7 for interconnection by means of wires or, more specifically,lengths of wiring extending between the connectors 3. In this manner,plural sets of circuits can be interconnected by means of the panelboard 1 and the connectors 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of theelectrical connector 3. The electrical connector includes a pair ofhousing portions and 17, the housing portion 115 including a pair ofgrooves 27 at its lower interior region and a pair of apertures I9 atits top surface for receiving extensions 21 from the housing 117 as wellbe explained hereinbelow. Also formed in the housing portion 15 is aportion ofa strain relief tube 25 through which the wires 5 will passoutwardly from the connector.

The housing portion 117 includes: a pair of outwardly outwardlyextending extensions 21 having a notched portion 23 therein. The I7 alsoincludes a pair of grooves 27 (not shown) which mate with the grooves 27of the housing for receiving the insulated board 9 as will be explainedhereinbelow. The housing I7 also includes a portion of the strain relieftube 25 which, in conjunction with the strain relief tube portion 25 ofthe housing 15 will form a complete tube through which collectivelengths of wiring 5 will pass.

Also included as a portion of the connector 3 is an insulating board 9into which the secured pluggable posts 111 having bottom portions of asize capable of being received into the aperture 7 of a panel board 1 orthe like. The upper portions of the pluggable posts 11 receive the wires5 thereon which are secured to the posts III by means of wiring clips 13which can be crimped thereon or secured thereto over the wires in wellknown manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the electrical connector in accordancewith the present invention is assembled by placing the housing portions15 and 17 over the insulated board 9 by sliding the insulated board 9along the grooves 27 of each the housings. As the housing portions 15and 17 come together, the extensions 21 will pass through the aperturesI9, and due, to the upward bias of the extension fingers 21, the notchedportions 23 of the extensions 21 will pass entirely through theapertures I9 thereby forming a latching means and lock against the faredge of the housing 15 which forms the apertures 119 as shown moreclearly in FIG. 3. The strain relief tube portions will come together toform a singular tube 25 through which the wires 5 extend. The upperportions of the pluggable posts 11 along with the wiring clips will besecured within the housing formed from member 15 and 117, the circularlyshaped lower portions of the pluggable posts extending downwardly andout of the housing for mating with apertures 7 ofa panel board or thelike as shown in FIG. 3. Since the housing of the electric connector inaccordance with the present invention is formed from an insulatingmaterial, it can be seen that the only conductive members which extendto the exterior of the connector are the pluggable post portions 11which are adapted to be mated with apertures 7 in the panel board 1.

It can be seen that there is provided, in accordance with the presentinvention, an electrical connector for point to point wiring which canbe automatically produced by machinery and which is relatively simple toassemble and install relative to prior art devices used for the samepurpose.

Though the invention has been described with respect to a specificpreferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications thereofwill immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It istherefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted asbroadly as possible in view of the prior art to include a ll suchvariations and modifications.

What is claimed is:

I. An electrical connector, comprising:

a planar board-type substrate,

at least two spaced rows of electrically conductive posts mounted onsaid substrate,

first portions of said posts depending from said substrate and formingpluggable electrical connectors,

second end portions of said posts projecting from said substrate,

a length of wiring associated with each of said second end portions ofsaid posts,

connection means electrically connecting each length of wiring with acorresponding second end portion of said posts,

said lengths of wiring being collectively located between said rows ofposts,

a first housing portion of insulating material including first opposedgrooved portions adjacent to a first post-receiving opening,

said first housing portion further including a first tube portion, 5

said substrate being slidably received in said first opposed groovedportions, with said lengths of wiring collectively received inregistration with said first tube portion,

a second housing portion of insulating material cooperating with saidfirst housing portion to provide an enclosure for said second postportions,

said second housing portion having second opposed grooved portionsslidably receiving said substrate,

said second housing portion further including a second postreceivingopening adjacent to said second grooved porl5 tions,

said posts protruding from said first and said second postreceivingopenings included in corresponding first and second housing portions,

said second housing portion including a second tube portion receivingsaid collectively received lengths of wiring and cooperating with saidfirst tube portion to provide a strain relief tube which encircles saidlengths of wiring and extends longitudinally between said rows of posts,and latching means for retaining said first and said second housingportion in said cooperating relationship.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said strain relief tubeis in recessed relationship with respect to said enclosure for saidsecond post portions.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said strain relief tubeis disposed longitudinally parallel to said spaced rows of posts.

4. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said second tubeportions and said latching means each project from said second housingportion longitudinally toward said first housing portion.

5. The structure as recited in claim 4, wherein said first tube portionis longitudinally inclined with respect to said first grooved portions,and said second tube portion is inverted with respect to said first tubeportion and is longitudinally inclined with respect to said secondgrooved portions, and said second tube portion overlies said first tubeportion with both said first and said second housing portions slidablyreceiving said substrate.

1. An electrical connector, comprising: a planar board-type substrate,at least two spaced rows of electrically conductive posts mounted onsaid substrate, first portions of said posts depending from saidsubstrate and forming pluggable electrical connectors, second endportions of said posts projecting from said substrate, a length ofwiring associated with each of said second end portions of said posts,connection means electrically connecting each length of wiring with acorresponding second end portion of said posts, said lengths of wiringbeing collectively located between said rows of posts, a first housingportion of insulating material including first opposed grooved portionsadjacent to a first post-receiving opening, said first housing portionfurther including a first tube portion, said substrate being slidablyreceived in said first opposed grooved portions, with said lengths ofwiring collectively received in registration with said first tubeportion, a second housing portion of insulating material cooperatingwith said first housing portion to provide an enclosure for said secondpost portions, said second housing portion having second opposed groovedportions slidably receiving said substrate, said second housing portionfurther including a second postreceiving opening adjacent to said secondgrooved portions, said posts protruding from said first and said secondpostreceiving openings included in corresponding first and secondhousing portions, said second housing portion including a second tubeportion receiving said collectively received lengths of wiring andcooperating with said first tube portion to provide a strain relief tubewhich encircles said lengths of wiring and extends longitudinallybetween said rows of posts, and latching means for retaining said firstand said second housing portion in said cooperating relationship.
 2. Thestructure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said strain relief tube is inrecessed relationship with respect to said enclosure for said secondpost portions.
 3. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, saidstrain relief tube is disposed longitudinally parallel to said spacedrows of posts.
 4. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein saidsecond tube portions and said latching means each project from saidsecond housing portion longitudinally toward said first housing portion.5. The structure as recited in claim 4, wherein said first tube portionis longitudinally inclined with respect to said first grooved portions,and said second tube portion is inverted with respect to said first tubeportion and is longitudinally inclined with respect to said secondgrooved portions, and said second tube portion overlies said first tubeportion with both said first and said second housing portions slidablyreceiving said substrate.